Surging Earnings Estimates Signal Upside for Comstock (CRK) Stock

Investors might want to bet on Comstock Resources (CRK), as earnings estimates for this company have been showing solid improvement lately. The stock has already gained solid short-term price momentum, and this trend might continue with its still improving earnings outlook.

The rising trend in estimate revisions, which is a result of growing analyst optimism on the earnings prospects of this oil and gas company, should get reflected in its stock price. After all, empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. This insight is at the core of our stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank.

The five-grade Zacks Rank system, which ranges from a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record of outperformance, with Zacks #1 Ranked stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 2008.

For Comstock, strong agreement among the covering analysts in revising earnings estimates upward has resulted in meaningful improvement in consensus estimates for the next quarter and full year.

The chart below shows the evolution of forward 12-month Zacks Consensus EPS estimate:

12 Month EPS

Current-Quarter Estimate Revisions

The earnings estimate of $0.14 per share for the current quarter represents a change of +566.67% from the number reported a year ago.

Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Comstock has increased 53.33% because one estimate has moved higher while one has gone lower.

Current-Year Estimate Revisions

For the full year, the earnings estimate of $0.71 per share represents a change of +395.83% from the year-ago number.

In terms of estimate revisions, the trend for the current year also appears quite encouraging for Comstock. Over the past month, three estimates have moved higher compared to no negative revisions, helping the consensus estimate increase 21.46%.

Favorable Zacks Rank

The promising estimate revisions have helped Comstock earn a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank is a tried-and-tested rating tool that helps investors effectively harness the power of earnings estimate revisions and make the right investment decision. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Our research shows that stocks with Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and 2 (Buy) significantly outperform the S&P 500.

Bottom Line

While strong estimate revisions for Comstock have attracted decent investments and pushed the stock 5.7% higher over the past four weeks, further upside may still be left in the stock. So, you may consider adding it to your portfolio right away.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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